Infomart Data Centers has announced that its Infomart Silicon Valley facility is purchasing 100% renewable power for all electricity consumption as of January 2017.
Many leading companies have made public commitments to procure 100% renewable energy by a specified year. A list of 100 of these influential firms can be found at RE100. According to the site, the private sector accounts for approximately half of the world's electricity consumption. Switching this demand to renewables will accelerate the transformation of the global energy market and aid the transition to a low carbon economy.
Another purchasing coalition leadership example is Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) and its Future of Internet Power initiative, which has set forth standards and principles for sourcing renewable power for data centers with a goal of "an internet powered by 100% renewable energy." Infomart Silicon Valley has met the challenge laid out by BSR in 2017, and has done so in a transparent and repeatable way for other companies to follow.
Across the U.S., the definition of renewable energy can change by state and jurisdiction. The California Energy Commission has published a benchmark Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS), which is one of the most ambitious in the country. California requires energy service providers to purchase 27% renewables by 2017, 33% by 2020, and 50% by 2030. By purchasing 100% renewable energy by today's RPS standard, Infomart is decades ahead of California's requirement.
"Since the company's inception, Infomart has consistently been ahead of our competitors in demonstrating commitment to environmental responsibility," states John Sheputis, president, Infomart Data Centers. "Data centers use substantial amounts of energy and we believe it's our moral duty to be both an efficient operator and to make responsible choices about energy procurement. Having a great PUE is not enough. Simply buying Renewable Energy Certificates from a distant source is not enough."
Sheputis went on to discuss why price is no longer a barrier to buying renewable. "Over the last few years, renewable power pricing has become competitive with higher carbon energy sources," he commented. "Using Direct Access to buy a 100% renewable mix 24x7 costs 6% more than the higher-carbon alternative. We could have saved money, but this was clearly the more responsible choice."
Infomart's renewable energy initiative isn't the first in its ongoing commitment to environmental responsibility. Infomart Portland set the renewable power precedent for the Infomart data center portfolio in 2015, when the property used Direct Access rights to source power from the nation's largest producer of hydroelectric power, the Bonneville Power Administration. In addition, Infomart Silicon Valley recently converted to using non-potable, or "gray water," for 100% of the mechanical infrastructure and irrigation surrounding the facility, earning Infomart the 2016 Recycled Water Customer of the Year award. The LEED Gold Silicon Valley facility is also the only wholesale data center in California to provide Direct Access power pricing with metered power solutions. All Infomart properties are designed to maximize energy efficiency and maintain industry-leading PUE metrics.
